May 8 (UPI) — At least three people were reported dead and several others injured after Indonesia’s Mount Dukono erupted Friday morning, according to officials who said a search was continuing for climbers caught on the mountain’s slopes.
The volcano, located in Indonesia’s North Maluku province, erupted at about 7:41 a.m. local time, MAGMA Indonesia, a government-run geological hazards platform, said in a statement.
An ash column was observed ascending more than 10,000 meters above the mountain’s summit and heading north, it said, adding that the eruption was still ongoing.
The dead were identified by North Halmahera Police Chief Erlichson Pasaribu as two Singaporeans and an Indonesian, the major Indonesian news outlet detikNews reported.
Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency, or BNPB, separately said at least five climbers were injured. Their conditions were unknown.
Officials and authorities were continuing to collect information on residents and climbers affected by the eruption, the agency said in a statement.
“The joint SAR team was also continuing searches in the Mount Dukono area to evacuate a number of climbers facing an emergency situation,” it said.
The volcano had been showing signs of increased activity before Friday’s eruption.
According to BNPB, Mount Dukono was at a Level II alert status, the second-lowest level in Indonesia’s four-tier volcano warning system, after showing increased visual and seismic activity since March 29.
“There is suspicion of negligence by tourism operators or parties who continued climbing activities despite notice that the Mount Dukono climbing tourism area had been closed,” BNPB said.
“The government is continuing to investigate to establish the full chronology of events.”
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